Recommendations for Supporting Trans and Queer Students of Color

Student affairs (SA) professionals have a unique opportunity to work directly with trans and queer students of color (TQSOC) on campuses across the United States. Most of this work is concentrated in cultural centers, which include race-specific resource centers, LGBTQ+ resource centers, and multicultural resource enters. Due to nationwide calls for accountability and the growing need to better serve TQSOC, we the committee have decided to combine our efforts and create guiding suggestions for campus partners to use when doing the work of supporting TQSOC. In this document we will discuss the historical context of cultural centers and LGBTQ+ centers on college campuses. Too few of us know these histories, which can prove a barrier to collaboration. The first section will also explore other barriers to collaboration including a lack of awareness around race/racism/whiteness in LGBTQ+ spaces, as well as a lack of awareness around sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE) in multicultural center spaces. This document also contains suggestions for SA professionals to incorporate into their departments. We invite you to spend some time reflecting upon the questions for further consideration that are found in each section.

Click here to download the full publication.